Lysistrata (14)

Publication Date: December 2, 2014

Chapter: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Literature

Lysistrata’s “victory” is indeed bittersweet. While she achieves her ultimate goal - ending the war - the orgy that follows leaves the men and women right back where they started. The men have their way with the women, and Lysistrata stands around marginalized. It’s telling that the stage direction in this last act specifically notes that “Lysistrata enters, mute.” The war is over, but there was no victory for the women of ancient Greece. This is why Lysistrata (the play) is hard to read as a feminist text, as the women only temporarily hold their power before society returns to the status quo.

On the other hand, who doesn’t like a good orgy?

Author: Aristophanes • Year: 411 BCE • Info: Wikipedia

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Lit Brick is a comic started by Jodie Troutman in an effort to read the entire Norton Anthology of English Literature. Having eventually succeeded in that goal, it now features comics about all manner of random literature. For more of Jodie's work, visit longtalljodie.com!